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NaNo Update: A Sense of Urgency

Early morning. Thanksgiving Day in the United States and I’m preparing to add to my word count until around noon when I’ll get ready and head off for a big meal. Yesterday, I made a couple of pies and applesauce bread in-between writing and work in the morning.

Photo: CA Hawthorne

On it goes in my quest to finish the entire draft of the novel in November. I may not make it, but it won’t be for a lack of trying. If I don’t draft fast I lose my way and my production plummets. Too, I dearly love to draft short stories in December. There’s just something about holiday spirit (as opposed to the commercialism … I’m looking at you Black Friday) that drives me to write short stories that time of year.

Right now I’m at 108K and, no, it hasn’t been easy, not at all. Writing before work, eating meals while writing, cutting everything out of my life I could afford to sacrifice … the list goes on and on. There was also the period at mid month when it was a struggle to reach my minimum goal each day, but I made it through. In fact, I’ve met or exceeded my daily goal every day this month, which I’ve never actually done before this year. Always there’d be that one day when I’d crash and settle for less, making it up later.

Thanksgiving Day is another obstacle. I’ll be satisfied if I make a workday minimum of 3.5K for the day, though that’d exceed what I’ve managed before on the holiday. Then again, this is the most pressure I’ve been under to finish in a month. We’ll see.

Urgency is my theme for the month. There’s been greater urgency because I’m working part-time now and because I fear this novel will run longer than the others (still not sure).

Now, though, comes end-of-the-month urgency, which has nothing to do with winning NaNo (I’ve essentially done that twice), but instead finishing. Of course, like everyone else, my first drafts are true first drafts with holes and filler and wordiness and even factual contradictions. It’s all okay. A draft is all I need to begin editing.

Christina Anne Hawthorne

Alive and well in the Rocky Mountains. I'm a fantasy writer who also dabbles in poetry, short stories, and map making. My Ontyre tales are an alternative fantasy experience, the stories rich in mystery, adventure, and romance. Alternative fantasy? Not quite steampunk. Not quite gothic. In truth, the real magic is in those who discover what's within.